Earl Mindell R.Ph., Ph.D.

Earl Mindell, R. Ph., Ph.D., is the bestselling author of over a dozen books, including the Earl Mindell's Vitamin Bible. He is a registered pharmacist, a master herbalist, and a professor of nutrition at Pacific Western University in Los Angeles. He also conducts nutrition seminars around the world. He lives in Beverly Hills, California.

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Earl Mindell, R. Ph., Ph.D., is the bestselling author of over a dozen books, including the Earl Mindell's Vitamin Bible. He is a registered pharmacist, a master herbalist, and a professor of nutrition at Pacific Western University in Los Angeles. He also conducts nutrition seminars around the world. He lives in Beverly Hills, California.

Every year, when prime hay...

Every year, when prime hay fever season hits in the spring and late summer, consumers are barraged with advertisements for the latest anti allergy drugs. I have written the Allergy Bible to show you that there is a better way to treat allergy symptoms. About 50 million Americans are allergic to something, making allergy one of the fastest growing epidemics in history.

Once rare, allergy and related health problems are now rampant. The allergy epidemic has spawned a multi–billion dollar industry consisting of drugs, supplements, and other cutting edge products designed to control allergy symptoms. The standard treatments for allergy—allergy shots and antihistamine medications and nasal sprays—do work, but only up to a point. As any allergy sufferer knows, these treatments have their downside. First, many commonly used antihistamines can have nasty side effects such as dry mouth and heart palpitations, and may not be safe for people with heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes. The primary problem with antihistamines, however, is that they make users sleepy and less alert. Although the newest generation of allergy drugs are less likely to cause drowsiness, they are expensive, are not covered many health plans, and have side effects—such as dizziness and sleep disorders—of their own.

I am a pharmacist, master herbalist, and long time student of alternative medicine. I am not against drugs, but believe in using them only when absolutely necessary. I believe that many cases of allergy and asthma can be managed successfully by making changes in life style, diet and the judicious use of natural supplements. It is my goal to help you live as full, a healthy, drug free life possible. Many of you with mild allergic symptoms will find that by following the advice in this book, you will be able to significantly reduce your need for drugs, or may no longer require them. Those of you with more serious forms of allergy and asthma may still need conventional medication, but you should see an improvement in your symptoms. At the very least, you will be taking charge of your health, and doing positive things that will not only relieve your asthma and allergy, but reduce your risk of developing many chronic diseases.

My problem with all of these conventional therapies is that they are all geared to treating symptoms, but they do not get to the underlying problem causing the allergy in the first place. The natural approach in treating allergy and asthma is different and in my experience, more effective in the long run. Although we recognize that controlling symptoms is important, we also feel that it is of equal importance to create an environment in the body that makes it allergy resistant. By that I mean, our goal is to relieve symptoms, reduce exposure to toxins that weaken immune function while at the same time bolstering the immune system so that it is less likely to result in allergy.

More and more, allergy sufferers are rejecting the notion that they must take strong drugs to control their symptoms, and are increasingly turning to alternative methods to treat and more importantly, preventtheir symptoms. They are spending millions of dollars on anti–allergy supplements, including herbal remedies such as quercetin, stinging nettles, and MSM. These supplements do not have the same nasty side effects as conventional drugs, yet they are surprisingly effective.

I'm not saying that you should throw away your medicine, not at all! But it is my hope that in time, you will need to use it less and less, and that eventually, you will be able to control your symptoms with simple natural therapies that do not have side effects, and in fact, often have many other benefits in addition to controlling allergy.

My goal in writing the Allergy Bible is to empower you with the solid, up–to–date, scientifically based information you need to successfully manage your allergy symptoms on your own, or enhance the treatment you are receiving from your doctor.